NADA 2023 is just two weeks away! If you’ll be in Dallas on January 26th-29th, stop by the Marchex Booth #7253 to meet our automotive pros and get their thoughts on call handling, the future of auto sales, industry best practices, and more. One topic we are familiar with is the pros and cons of an IVR in an auto dealership.
Schedule a Meeting
For more information, or to book a time to chat with us at NADA, complete this form today.
Choose Live Representatives for your Incoming Calls
According to our latest study dealerships have lackluster communication with prospective buyers. The study also shows that the majority of customers do their research before connecting with a specific dealer. When they find the car they want, they often call before coming in. This means phone communications are a critical step in the auto buying process. So how do you best service these customers? Limit or remove your IVR system from your dealership’s telephone communications.
This might sound counterintuitive, but the same study and others in the past have shown that live representatives are the superior choice over IVR systems for a variety of reasons. For starters, customers who call want to get a question answered. They do not want to push multiple keys and wait on hold. Worse is when they are put back on hold to be transferred only to have the next rep (if they answer at all) ask them the same questions all over again. In addition, customers build trust by having a personal conversation with a real person rather than with an artificial voice. Though onboarding more staff is not always sensible for dealerships, in this case, the analysis of the number of calls and costs relating to those calls saved will likely offset the cost of employment for a live representative.
If an IVR is necessary for your dealership, simple housekeeping measures can ensure that calls still run as smoothly as possible. Audit or test your IVR system frequently and follow all the customer connection options to make sure that any inbound caller can find what they are looking for as soon as possible with only a few key presses.
Visit Our Booth!
The NADA 2023 Show is set to be the best one yet. The Marchex team is excited to connect at Booth #7253 to explore what is in store for the dealership in 2023 and beyond. To schedule an appointment with us ahead of time, book a meeting today.
Look forward to connecting with you.
Stephanie Robbins
Senior Director, Dealer Services
